Raptors Vet Gets Brutally Honest About Looming NBA Free Agency

After four seasons with the Toronto Raptors, wing Gary Trent Jr. is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. And by the sound of it, the 25-year-old is open to return, but he is well aware it may not be his choice.

“To be honest it’s really not my choice,” he said. “They gotta want me, so it’s like I could say I want to come here, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t want me here. So again, at the end of the day, I would love to be anywhere I’m wanted, anywhere I can help contribute towards winning, anywhere that can see me as part of their future or sees me as part of something they got going on that would be great to be a part of…”

This season, Trent Jr. has played 70 games for Toronto and started 40 of them. In those games, Trent Jr. is averaging 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Additionally, he is shooting 42.6% from the field and 39.3% from beyond the arc.

Last year, Trent Jr. and the Raptors were in talks on a multi-year deal. Ultimately, that never came to fruition.

Raptors Vet Gets Brutally Honest About Looming NBA Free Agency

Why the Toronto Raptors May Want Gary Trent Jr. Back

Trent Jr. is a solid two-way player in the league. Furthermore, he is a legitimate scorer who can contribute on the defensive side of the ball as well. Trent Jr. is not a lockdown defender by any means, but he is more than just a body. His athleticism makes him good at contesting shots or being a pest in the passing lanes. This season, he averaged 1.1 steals per game. Additionally, at 6’5″, he can play the shooting guard and small forward positions. Plus, at only 25 years old, there’s no telling how much better he can become.

It also appears head coach Darko Rajakovic is a fan of the Duke alum, according to Michael Grange of SportsNet:

“Gary is an amazing human being. I have so much appreciation for his consistency,” said Rajakovic. “He’s a hard worker. He’s a high-level competitor. He brings it every single day … and I think that he improved, and he got better as a player as the season went on. Not just being a catch-and-shoot threat, but he improved his finishing. He improved his scoring off cuts. Defensively, he did a really good job when he was assigned to guard (as an) on-ball defender. He showed a lot of good stuff.”

Potential Gary Trent Jr. Price

In February, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen attempted to put a price tag on Trent Jr.’s value this offseason.

However, if he continues to play more of a two-way game, a multiyear contract earning him somewhere between the midlevel exception and $20 million annually might make sense for the player and the team.

If Trent Jr. signs a $20 million/year contract with Toronto, he would be the third-most expensive contract on the team. Only wings RJ Barrett and Bruce Brown (who has a team option and is a popular trade candidate) have higher contracts.

The Raptors will end the regular season as the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference. Potentially, the team may completely shift its roster around as the next step of its rebuild. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if Trent Jr. re-signs with Toronto amidst a possible roster shakeup or not.